Modular syngas system, marine vessel powered thereby, and method of operation

Abstract

A land based or marine vessel based system for generating power from syngas utilizes a feedstock of waste material acquired from waste dumps, municipalities, and/or ports of call of the marine vessel. The marine vessel or land based system can be retrofitted to be fueled by the waste material. The syngas is used to provide propulsive and/or electrical power for the marine vessel or the land based system. The waste material is not just a feedstock for the syngas but is provided with payment from the ports of call to take the waste material away. The marine vessel also collects garbage floating on the waterway along the voyage between the various ports of call for use as feedstock in the production of syngas. The modular syngas generation system further generates H2 from the syngas. The H2 generated thereby is used to fuel an H2 fuel cell for the generation of electrical power.

I claim: 
     
       1. A marine vessel, comprising:
 an onboard system for producing syngas, wherein the onboard system comprises:
 one or more heating units; 
 a gasification unit supplied with waste material and heated by the one or more heating units, wherein the gasification unit produces syngas from the waste material; and 
 a scrubber having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the inlet of the scrubber is in fluid communication with the gasification unit and the syngas is passed through the scrubber; 
 one or more hydrogen storage tanks; and 
 one or more hydrogen fuel cells; wherein 
 the one or more hydrogen storage tanks is connected via conduits to the outlet of the scrubber and to the one or more hydrogen fuel cells; and 
 the one or more hydrogen fuel cells is connected via conduits to the outlet of the scrubber and to the one or more hydrogen storage tanks; and 
 
 an intake assembly disposed at least on a front of the marine vessel, wherein the intake assembly is configured to collect at least a first portion of the waste material supplied to the gasification unit in the form of debris floating at or near the surface of the water through which the marine vessel passes. 
 
     
     
       2. The marine vessel of  claim 1 , wherein:
 a second portion of the waste material is supplied from a port of call of the marine vessel; and wherein 
 the second portion of the waste material is selected from a group consisting of household waste, industrial waste, organic waste, electronics, plastic waste exclusive of polyvinyl chloride, chlorinated polyvinyl chloride, or perfluoroalkoxy alkane, agricultural waste, chemical waste, sludge, old vehicle tires, and combinations thereof. 
 
     
     
       3. A method of operation of the marine vessel of  claim 2 , comprising the steps of:
 being paid to accept the second portion of the waste material from the port of call; 
 loading the second portion of the waste material from the port of call onto the marine vessel; 
 utilizing the first and second portions of the waste material as a feedstock for the onboard system for producing syngas; and 
 generating electrical power using the one or more hydrogen fuel cells. 
 
     
     
       4. The marine vessel of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 an anaerobic digester supplied with organic waste and heated by the one or more heating units, wherein the anaerobic digester produces biogas from the organic waste; wherein 
 at least a portion of the biogas is supplied to the one or more heating units. 
 
     
     
       5. The marine vessel of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a heat recovery chiller disposed in thermal contact between the one or more hydrogen storage tanks and the gasification unit; wherein 
 the heat recovery chiller cools the one or more hydrogen storage tanks. 
 
     
     
       6. The marine vessel of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 one or more carbon dioxide storage tanks; wherein 
 carbon dioxide gas is separated out from the syngas by the scrubber, and wherein the carbon dioxide gas is stored in the one or more carbon dioxide storage tanks. 
 
     
     
       7. The marine vessel of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a closed-cycle regenerative heat engine disposed between the gasification unit and the scrubber; wherein 
 the closed-cycle regenerative heat engine recovers heat from the syngas thereby producing useful work therefrom and providing excess waste heat back to the gasification unit.